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Scan 31
Dictionary of music, 1900
22 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 23. See the scan on archive.org.
1with an appointment in the offices of the Minister of Justice, he became tutor to the Crown Prince Rudolf, and received a professorship at the Conservatorium. As a composer, A. was of a certain importance; he wrote sacred music (a mass, a Stabat Mater, etc.), pianoforte pieces in the style of Schumann, also a Bohemian national opera, Brelislaw a Žitka, overtures, songs, etc.; yet his chief importance lies in his literary work, which was one of great distinction, if not altogether free from error. His "Kulturhistorische Bilder aus dem Musikleben der Gegenwart" (1860) also deserves mention.
3Ambrosian Chant, the ecclesiastical singing introduced by St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, into the churches of his diocese. The Ambrosian Chant is one of the most enigmatical chapters in the history of music, for we really know next to nothing about it; the only certain thing is that Ambrose transplanted the singing of the Halleluja, and the antiphonal singing from Greece into Italy, and that he is also looked upon as the originator of the Responses. As however, he not only introduced into Italy the singing of hymns, but wrote many hymns himself, the Ambrosian Chant seems scarcely to differ from the Gregorian, especially as, according to the trustworthy testimony of St. Augustine, the exclamations of joy formed the kernel of the Ambrosian, as afterwards of the Gregorian Chant. To all appearance the Gregorian Chant did not differ in principle from the Ambrosian, but was only a comprehensive revision, as a pattern for united Catholic Christendom, of Church song, to which, doubtless, much that was new had been added since the death of Ambrosius (397). Anyhow, the liturgy of the Milan diocese (as well as of other districts) appears, in spite of the ecclesiastical prescript for the whole Church, to have retained for a long period certain peculiarities, perhaps even certain melodies, to which certain remarks concerning Ambrosian song by writers of the Middle Ages may refer. (Cf. Gregorian Chant.)
5Ambrosian Hymn (Hymnus Ambrosianus) is the name given to the noble song "Te Deum laudamus." It is by no means certain that Ambrosius was the author; but more probable that the same was handed down to him from the Greek Church, and that he only translated the text.
7Ambrosius, Bishop of Milan from 374; b. 333, Trèves, d. April 4, 397, Milan. Great merit must be ascribed to him for the manner in which he developed Christian Church song, in so far as he introduced into Italy various kinds of ritual singing (especially antiphonal and hymn singing as it had been developed in the Eastern Church). (Cf. Ambrosian Chant.) It is also more than probable that he took over the four church Tones of the Greek Church (which, afterwards, by division into authentic and plagal were increased to eight). On the other hand, it is not likely that he was acquainted with the designation of sounds by means of the first seven letters of the alphabet. (See Letter Notation.) A. himself composed a great number of hymns. (Cf. Ambrosian Hymn.)
9Âme (Fr.), the sound-post of the violin and other stringed instruments of that class.
11Amerbach (Ammerbach), Elias Nikolaus, an excellent composer of the 16th century, who was organist about 1570 at St. Thomas's Church, Leipzig. He published a work on Tablature, which is of great historical importance, as it contains directions for fingering of instruments, explanations of ornaments, etc., "Orgel- und Instrument-tabulatur" (1571), etc. Fétis, in the 2nd edition of the "Biographie universelle," makes mention of a second Tablature work by Ammerbach (spelt thus), "Ein neu künstlich Tabulaturbuch," etc. (1575), which does not seem to be identical with the one mentioned above, and the second edition of which came out in 1583.
13American Organ, a peculiar instrument similar to the harmonium; the reeds are made to speak, not by compressed air forced outwards, but drawn inwards; there are also other small differences. The invention of the A. O. originated from a workman in the harmonium-factory of Alexandre at Paris, who went to America. These instruments, however, in their present complete form, only came into vogue after 1860, through the firm of Mason and Hamlin at Boston. The "Alexandre" organ, built by Édouard Alexandre (b. 1824, d. March 9, 1888) at Paris in 1874, is an instrument of a similar kind.
15A minor Chord = a, c, e; A minor key, without signature (minor fundamental scale). (See Key.)
17Amiot, Pater, Jesuit and missionary in China, b. 1718, Toulon; he translated a work on the theory of Chinese music (by Li-Koang-Ti) into French, which was reprinted with comments by the Abbé Rouffier in the "Mémoires concernant l'histoire des Chinois," as 6th volume.
19Ammerbach. (See Amerbach.)
21Ammon, Blasius, contrapunctist of the 16th century, born, according to the titles and dedications of his works, in the Tyrol. He was brought up as soprano singer in the service of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, at whose expense he was sent to Venice. He afterwards became Franciscan monk at Vienna, where he died in June, 1590. His first work, a volume of introits à 5, appeared at Vienna in 1582, and a volume of masses à 4 came out there in 1588. A volume of motets, à 4–6, was published at Munich (a part of the edition announces that A. had died meanwhile). Still another volume of motets appeared at Munich after his death (1591), and a second volume of introits (à 4) was published in 1601 by his brother, Stephen Amon (sic). The Munich Library
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